Charming Colton (Surrender Book 8)

by Becca Jameson

  Several times a day and in the evenings, I stop what I’m doing and stare at him when he doesn’t know I’m looking. He’s too good to be true. I have to pinch myself, then I remind myself that I’m right. He is too good to be true. He’s not mine.

  On Thursday, my boss pops into my office and asks me if I’ll be able to attend a seminar about the latest tax laws on Saturday. It’s six hours long and includes lunch. It’s being held in the conference room of a nearby hotel.

  I glance at Colt. He’s frowning, and I know he hates when we deviate from our routine. We haven’t gone anywhere for any reason other than work and home since Saturday. He stares at me for a moment before glancing at my boss and nodding.

  My boss steps all the way into my office and shuts the door. He looks concerned. “If you think it’s too dangerous…” He glances from me to Colt.

  I interject. “No. It’s fine.”

  “I’ll get another guy or two to watch the exits,” Colt says. “No one will know we’re there, so it won’t upset the other attendees. Not a problem.”

  I know he’s lying to my boss, and I know he’s doing it for me. He doesn’t want to do anything to upset my career, but he’s going to worry the entire day too.

  After my boss leaves, I turn to Colt. “You hate it.”

  “It’s fine.”

  I come around my desk, shut my door once more, and flatten my palms on his perfectly starched white dress shirt. I try not to touch him while I’m at work, but he’s stressed right now, and I’m hoping my touch will bring him down a notch. “Who’s going to abduct me from a crowded accounting seminar?”

  He stares down at me. “No one. I won’t let them.”

  I sigh. He’s rigid, not touching me even though I’m smoothing my hands up and down his pecs now.

  His brow is furrowed, and I nearly laugh at his dead-serious expression. Even though he’s not reacting outwardly to my flirting, he’s breathing heavier, and his fists are clenched.

  I finally stop tormenting him and back up. “Sorry. That wasn’t fair.” I head for the door, but before I reach it, he grabs my hand and yanks me back so that I slam into his chest. His hands cup my face and his lips are on mine before I have time to react.

  He kisses the daylight out of me before releasing me, smirking. “There. Now we’re even.”

  I lick my lips and turn toward the door once more, shaking as I open it. I wish I could say that he doesn’t play fair, but I did this to myself, and besides, I’m not sorry.

  Chapter 30

  Colton

  I’ve made arrangements with the captain to have a second cop stationed at the seminar tomorrow. I’ve also spoken to Davis, and Blade is sending a guy too.

  This doesn’t keep me from pacing Eve’s office most of the morning on Friday. The hair on the back of my neck is on end. I’m not even sure why. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

  It’s after lunch, after Eve and I have finished eating takeout at the table in her office, after Lacy and a few other of her coworkers have stopped by to flirt with me, after Eve has once again shut the door and kissed me just to “remind you who belongs to you,” after she safely returns from the ladies’ room.

  That’s when I get the call. From my boss. I yank my phone up and connect to him as I step out into the hall. I tell myself it’s so that I don’t disturb Eve while she works, but that’s not entirely true. The way my hackles have been up all day, I answer the call with a high level of anticipation.

  “What’s up?” I say all casually.

  “Swat moved in on the seller an hour ago.”

  I stop pacing and freeze in my tracks. “Pardon?”

  “Yep. Got another tip. This time it was for the seller. Not a middle man. The whole tamale. Name’s Antonio Russo. Goes by Tony. We raided his estate and found three women in his custody. In cages in the basement. We took his computers of course, but there was a printout of the women he was selling in two days. Evelyn Dean’s name was on the list.”

  I can’t breathe, but I somehow manage to step back into Eve’s office and continue toward her. She lifts her gaze and freezes at the expression on my face. “You’re sure?” I ask my boss.

  “Positive. It’s over. If you want to swing by here, I’ll show you everything.”

  I slowly lower onto the chair across from Eve’s desk. “Why didn’t someone call me before the raid?”

  “Ten reasons, Marshall, and you know it. Starting with the fact that we couldn’t possibly know the tip was good. Then let’s move to the fact that there was no way I would have trusted it enough to pull you from Evelyn to chase squirrels. What if it had been a decoy to lure you from your post?”

  I sigh. He’s right. Of course.

  “Now, it’s over. Come in this afternoon if you want visual proof, or take the fucking weekend off and I’ll see you Monday morning.”

  “Got it. Thanks.” I end the call and meet Eve’s gaze. She has rounded the desk and is leaning against it, close enough for me to grab her and pull her closer. I’m sitting, but I hold her hips and tip my head back to look at her. “It’s over. They got the seller.”

  She gasps. “Seriously?”

  I nod. There is a lump in my throat. It’s insane. Of course, I’m beyond relieved that they caught the guy, but this means my time with Eve is over. I can stay with her for the next two nights, but then I have to return to my real life on Monday morning.

  “How did they get him?”

  “Someone called in a tip. Probably the same guy.”

  “Was it the man who’s been following me?”

  I realize I don’t know the answer to her question. “Not sure.” Why the fuck didn’t I ask that? It’s possible the guy following her either works for the seller and will now disappear because his source of income just dried up, or he might have also been the tipster. No idea. I still want to hunt him down though, so I’ll make sure the captain or Davis’s boss eventually makes an ID.

  She feels unsteady, so I pull her onto my lap, hug her tight, and stroke her back. “It’s over,” I repeat as much for myself as for her.

  “What happens now?”

  “You get your life back and don’t have to spend every second of your day with an undercover cop breathing down your neck.” I’m trying to sound light and comical.

  Eve doesn’t laugh. In fact, her eyes are watery. Her voice trembles. “Do you think that’s funny?”

  I shake my head. “No, baby. I’m sorry.” I said I wouldn’t call her that at work, but I can’t help it. She looks like she’s about to fall apart, which is so backward since we should both be relieved. A man who intended to sell her into human trafficking has been caught.

  Neither of us feels elation.

  “Is there anything you need to finish this afternoon? Or could you take the rest of the day off?”

  She sniffles. “I don’t even know. I can’t think.”

  I stand, helping her to her feet. “Get your stuff together and turn off your computer. I’ll go tell your boss what happened and that we’re leaving and you’ll be at the seminar in the morning.”

  She nods. “Okay.”

  I tip her head back. “You’ll be all right for a few minutes?”

  “Yes. Of course.” She dabs at the corners of her eye, sucking back emotion.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I make my way toward her boss’s office, glad to find the door open and that he’s not on the phone or with a client. “Do you have a moment?” I ask him, leaning in the doorway.

  “Yes, of course. Everything okay?”

  “Yes. I just got word they caught the guy. Eve is shaken up. I’m going to take her home. She’ll be at the seminar in the morning.”

  Her boss stands. “Of course. Yes. Take her home. I’m sure that’s a relief and stressful at the same time. Tell her we’ll see her tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.” I hurry back to Eve, finding her organizing her desk. She grabs her purse. “Ready?” I ask her.

  “Yes
. I think so.”

  I set a hand on the small of her back when she joins me and we leave without saying anything to anyone else. A few people look up, but they seem to wisely know now isn’t a great time to chat.

  It’s not until we’re in the SUV and pulling away from the parking lot that Eve loses it. She tugs a pile of tissues from her purse, but they won’t be enough judging by how hard she’s crying.

  I’m helpless. All I can do until we get to her apartment is grip her thigh. She’s using both hands to wipe her cheeks and dab at her eyes.

  It seems like it takes ten years to get to her place and another decade to get inside from the car. I note that her stalker is not around, but then again he wouldn’t expect her to be returning from work at this hour of the day.

  I also know he didn’t follow us from her office. He wasn’t lurking around the office building. And no one is capable of tailing me. I’ve got a sixth sense when it comes to being tailed.

  As soon as we’re inside, I take her purse and toss it and her keys on the end table before lifting her off the floor and carrying her to her room. I head straight for her master bathroom where I carefully strip her work clothes off. Everything. It always has to be everything because she owns the sexiest bra and thong sets I’ve ever seen, and neither suits her little.

  I know she needs to be in her little space right now.

  “Don’t move,” I tell her and leave her there shivering while I rush back into her room and grab white panties and a pale blue T-shirt that says Spoiled Rotten on it in white letters.

  She doesn’t protest or fight me as I pull the shirt over her head and help her step into the panties. When I’m done, I lead her closer to the vanity and help her remove her makeup. Mascara is running down her face. I’ve watched her remove it enough times to know which bottle to grab and where she keeps the little flat cotton circles. I douse the cotton with the remover and gently wipe the rest of the makeup off her face.

  When I’m done, I take her bun down and brush out her hair. I don’t feel like taking the time to braid it or put it in pigtails right now, so I leave it long and wavy as I sweep her off her feet and cradle her.

  I consider putting her to bed so she can sleep off the hysteria, but I don’t want to release her, so I carry her to the armchair we often sit in in the living room, drop down with her on my lap, and tug the throw blanket from behind me around to my front.

  I tuck it all around her trembling body and hold her close, kissing the top of her head every once in a while. She cries for a long time while I say nothing. She’s been through a lot. I can’t imagine how stressful it’s been for her to keep up with her job, maintain her little, and start a new relationship with a man who knew nothing about her lifestyle two weeks ago.

  When she finally wears herself out, she burrows deeper against me and falls asleep.

  I feel beyond privileged to be the man she trusts enough to let me take the reins and hold her through this. The Dom. The Daddy. Whatever she needs, it’s hers. I’m helpless. All I can do is stroke her hair while she relaxes. I have nothing else to offer her. Literally.

  The sun is dipping in the sky when she rouses. She startles and lifts her face, rubbing her eyes. “I fell asleep,” she murmurs.

  I smile. “Yes, you did. You were exhausted. You needed it.”

  “I don’t know why I got so emotional. I mean you told me the best news in the world and I cried like a baby.”

  I kiss her forehead. “It’s not unusual, baby. You’ve been worried for two weeks. The relief when trauma is finally over has a letdown involved that’s not much different from the subspace you go to after a spanking.”

  She nods. “That kind of makes sense.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  She shrugs and leans her head on my shoulder again, her arms tight around me. “You’re going to leave,” she whispers so softly I can hardly hear her.

  I rub her back, my chest tightening. “Well, not today. Unless you want me to.” I stiffen, not moving.

  She shakes her head. “No. Please, Daddy.”

  I lick my lips. “I’m all yours for the weekend.”

  “I have that seminar.”

  “That’s okay. It’s only for six hours. I’ll drive you and pick you up. The rest of the weekend, you’re mine.” I don’t know what else to say. I’m as lost as she is. I can’t imagine leaving her. I’ve been here two weeks, and already her place feels more like a home to me than my own dreary apartment with very little furniture and nothing personal. All I needed when I got it was a place to sleep in between cases. I’m not home enough days a month to warrant anything fancier.

  “How about we order pizza and watch a movie?”

  She nods against me. “Can I pick the movie?”

  “As long as it’s PG,” I remind her.

  She pouts adorably. Her eyes are red and puffy, but she’s shoving our elephant to the side for now, and I’m glad. I don’t want her to spend the rest of our time together sad.

  “Will you spank me later?”

  “Of course. If that’s what you want.”

  “I do. It will make all the bad feelings go away for a while.”

  “Okay, baby. I can do that.”

  Chapter 31

  Colton

  I’m uneasy once again as I drop Eve off at the hotel where her seminar is being held. It’s not rational. I’m just used to worrying about her. As soon as she’s safely inside the building, I head for the crime scene. Ever since my boss called to tell me about the arrest and subsequent raid on Antonio Russo’s home, I’ve been uneasy. I know the captain still has several people at Russo’s house this morning, so I head that way. Maybe if I see some of the evidence myself, I’ll feel like it’s real.

  When I pull up, several investigators are on the scene. Yellow tape surrounds the house. I park and duck under it, shaking hands with a few of the guys as I put gloves on and cover my shoes.

  A detective I’ve worked with on several cases, Roger Durban, greets me as I enter the house.

  “Captain send you over?” Durban asks.

  “Nah. I’m just curious.” I rub the back of my neck.

  He chuckles. “You gotta see for yourself, don’t you?”

  I nod, my brow furrowed as I wander in deeper, following him. He leads me downstairs, and I’m shocked by what I find. Fucking place is definitely ground zero for a human trafficking sting. “Jesus,” I mutter to myself as I slowly wander around.

  The main room has all kinds of information tacked to the walls. In fact, the walls are made of corkboard. Whoever this asshole is, he’s meticulous. Each victim has a square on the wall. There are dozens, which leads me to believe he was either planning on picking up several women in the near future, he plans way in advance, or some of them have already been sold.

  I turn toward Durban. “Have all these women been located?”

  He shakes his head. “Not yet.”

  “Anyone know if any of the cases are older?”

  “Could be. But most of the information on the walls is current. Judging by the filing cabinets in that office over there,” he pauses to point in the direction of the indicated room, “I’d say he’s been in this business a long time. There are dozens of closed files.”

  “Fuck.” Tightness forms in my chest as I realize one of those files is undoubtedly for Davis’s woman. “Can you see if there’s a file for Britney Heath?”

  “Will do. Be right back.”

  I keep wandering, my heart stopping when I come to a square dedicated to Evelyn. Pictures of her coming and going from work and her apartment. Recent ones if I’m not mistaken, undoubtedly taken by the guy who’s been stalking her. Makes my skin crawl. I look closer, reading the details. This guy was thorough. He knew every damn thing about Eve. Including the fact that she belongs to Surrender.

  When I can’t stand to look any longer, I turn away and head for the office. This room is immaculate. Unlike the larger space outside of the office, there is not a paper in sight.
Everything is in its spot. Pens lined up on the desk. Files all put away. “Guy has OCD,” I comment.

  Durban lifts his gaze from a filing cabinet as he pulls out a file and holds it up. “Found it. Britney Heath. That’s the woman you rescued eight months ago, right?”

  “Yes.” I tentatively take the file from him, forcing myself to open it and absorb the details. I know it will give Davis closure in a way. He can decide if he thinks Britney needs to know, but the important thing is finding out the seller has been arrested. No matter what, I’m sure this has been hanging over Davis’s head. It would mine.

  I hand the file back to Durban and aim for the bookshelves. Even these are dust-free and organized in alphabetical order. Every other shelf has pictures or trinkets on it.

  I pick up a group shot of a bunch of guys all smiling drunkenly at the camera. It looks like a fraternity picture. It’s hard to imagine a man so vile that he sells women on the side but he used to be a regular guy in college with his friends. Or maybe he never was a regular guy.

  I glance at Durban. “Which one is he?”

  “Oh. There’s a better picture over here. Close up.” Durban snags it from another shelf and holds it out, his finger pointing to the guy on the left.

  My blood runs cold as I yank the picture out of his hand. “Fuck,” I shout.

  “What?”

  I jerk my gaze toward him as I pull my phone from my pocket. I can no longer see Durban though. I drop the picture and take off running as fast as I can back through the larger room and up the stairs.

  As I run, I call Eve, but it goes straight to voicemail. I’m sure her phone is off. I call my boss next.

  He’s already speaking when he answers. “Heard you couldn’t resist and headed to the crime scene,” he jokes. “Oh hey, we got an ID on your stalker too. Bates Roberts. Heard of him?” All this rushes out of my captain before I have a chance to interrupt.